No trusting the police

There are many appalling details in a recent report in this newspaper that has surfaced from Mansehra about a girl allegedly being raped for a second time by the policeman to whom she reported a first raping incident. The girl, a minor, was taken to the policeman’s residence in the company of her mother and violated. The wrongful act was followed by a threat from the policeman to sabotage her case. If the events are evidenced to be true, there is much introspection once again that needs to be achieved by the nation’s police force.

When the enforcers of law break the law themselves, the citizens of the country are left with little to no hope. This is often why we see anarchic cases of people taking the law into their own hands. And, right when we think the situation is improving, a story similar to this reminds us that it is a long journey towards eliminating the corruption that has infiltrated the systems in our society. Whether it is a traffic policeman standing at a traffic signal looking the other way as motorists proceed on a red light, or something more grave such as this policeman who allegedly raped a 14-year-old, the police have, in the majority part, failed the citizens of Pakistan. Instead of the officer helping the young girl seek justice for her case, he proceeded to repeat the same offence as the first perpetrator, proving to be no less  criminal himself.

Unless the courts act harshly on this man, there will be more similar cases. It is commendable that this young 14-year-old girl and her family continued to seek justice despite facing further trauma at the reporting of the first case. The DPO and others in charge must make an example out of this employee, while further ascertaining that the girl receives justice in all of her cases. The depravity must end. It is no wonder the security situation is what it is, when there are dishonest people in positions of human protection who have the wrong intentions. We must implore our police departments to start valuing human life and safety.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 22^nd, 2014.

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